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“Man selects only for his own good: Nature only for that of the being which she tends": First Edition of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species
DARWIN, Charles.
On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life.
London: John Murray, 1859.
First edition of "certainly the most important biological book ever written" (Freeman), one of 1250 copies. Octavo, bound in original cloth, half-title, one folding lithographed diagram, without advertisements. In very good condition with cracks to inner hinges and a touch of shelfwear. Housed in a custom clamshell box. A fine example of this landmark work.
Price: $400,000.00 Item Number: 116380
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Exceptionally rare first edition, presentation copy of Experiments and Observations on Electricity; inscribed by Benjamin Franklin to Prominent Philadelphia Merchant, Colleague, and friend Thomas Livezey
FRANKLIN, Benjamin.
Experiments and Observations on Electricity, Made at Philadelphia in America, by Benjamin Franklin, L.L.D. and F.R.S. To which are added, Letters and Papers on Philosophical Subjects. The Whole corrected, methodized, improved, and now first collected into one Volume, and Illustrated with Copper Plates.
London: Printed for David Henry; and sold by Francis Newbery, at the Corner of St. Paul's Church-Yard, 1769.
First complete edition of "the most important scientific book of eighteenth-century America" (PMM), inscribed by Benjamin Franklin to prominent Pennsylvania Quaker and merchant Thomas Livezey, Jr. Quarto, bound in full contemporary calf with elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, morocco spine label lettered in gilt, gilt turn-ins. Illustrated with 7 copper-engraved plates, 2 of which are folding. Presentation copy, inscribed by Benjamin Franklin on the front free endpaper, “To Mr. Livesy [sic] From his obliged Friend & humble Servant The Author.” With Thomas Livezey's ownership signature to the second free endpaper, "Thomas Livezey…
Price: $375,000.00 Item Number: 147283
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"The greatest and finest atlas ever published": Willem and Joan Blaeu's magnificent Theatrum Orbis Terrarum, or, Le Theatre du Monde
BLAEU, Willem and Joan.
Theatrum Orbis Terrarum. [Le Theatre du Monde].
Amsterdam: Chez Jean Blaeu/Apud Guiljelmum et Johannem Blaeu, 1643-1645.
A fine French-text copy in a presentation binding. Folio, 4 volumes, contemporary Dutch vellum likely from the Blaeu workshop with gilt tooling to the spine in eight compartments within gilt bands, central gilt arabesques and fleuron corner pieces within double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, all edges gilt. Gilt presentation inscription to the front panel of vol. I dated July 3, 1646 dedicating the set to Omer Talon, avocat-général to the French Parliament with the compliments of François du Monstier, rector of the University of Paris. Illustrated with 335 magnificent hand-colored engraved maps of the world and…
Price: $300,000.00 Item Number: 126307
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First octavo edition, presentation copy of John James Audubon's The Birds of America; warmly inscribed by him in both volumes I and II to Lydia E. E. Greene
AUDUBON, John James.
The Birds of America, From Drawings Made In The United States And Their Territories.
New York: Published by J. J. Audubon. Philadelphia: J. B. Chevalier, 1840-1844.
First octavo edition of Audubon's landmark work; one of the most spectacular collections of ornithological prints ever produced. Royal octavo, 7 volumes bound in full 19th-century morocco by P. Low of Boston with their ticket, gilt titles and ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, gilt turn-ins, marbled endpapers, ribbons bound in. Illustrated with 500 hand-colored lithographed plates after Audubon by W. E. Hitchcock, R. Trembly and others, printed and colored by J. T. Bowen, wood-engraved anatomical diagrams in text. Presentation copy, inscribed by John James Audubon on…
Price: $200,000.00 Item Number: 143567
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Richard Feynman's personal Copies of each volume of The Feynman Lectures On Physics; with his ownership signatures
FEYNMAN, Richard P.; Robert P. Leighton; Matthew Sands.
The Feynman Lectures On Physics.
Reading, Massachusetts/Palo Alto: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company, 1975; 1964; 1965.
Richard Feynman's own office copy of his collected lectures on physics, with his ownership signatures. Quarto, 3 volumes, original red cloth. With Feynman's ownership signature and address to the front free endpaper of volume one, "R. P. Feynman. Calif Instit. of Technology Pasadena, Calif. 795-6811 Ext. 2688" and signature to the front free endpaper of Vol. II, "Office R P Feynman." Each volume is in very good condition. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box by the Harcourt Bindery. From the library of Richard P. Feynman. A unique example of one of the most important physics texts ever published.
Price: $150,000.00 Item Number: 130475
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First edition of Alhazen's fundamental Book of Optics
ALHAZEN (HASAN IBN AL-HAYTHAM),.
Opticae Thesaurus Alhazeni Arabis. [Alhazen’s Book of Optics].
Basel: Eusebius Episcopius , 1572.
First edition of Alhazen's fundamental work on optics and vision, which influenced Galileo and Kepler and paved the way for the modern science of physical optics. Folio, bound in full contemporary Basel vellum with central arabesques blind-stamped to the front and rear panels, titles stamped in black and five raised bands to the spine, woodcut printer's device to the title page, woodcut initials, diagrams and full page illustration to the verso of the title page. Translated from Arabic into Latin by Gerard of Cremona. In very good condition. From the library of American physician Chester Tilton Stone with his bookplate…
Price: $142,000.00 Item Number: 90395
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From the library of Charles Darwin: First edition of Herbert Spencer's The Study of Sociology; with a presentation inscription from Spencer to Darwin
SPENCER, Herbert.
The Study of Sociology.
London: Henry S. King & Co, 1873.
First edition, association copy of famed English philosopher Herbert Spencer's classic work on the evolution of society; presented and inscribed by him to Charles Darwin. Octavo, original publisher's cloth with gilt titles to the spine, dark green endpapers. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the title page, "Charles Darwin with the Author's kind regards." English philosopher, biologist, sociologist, and anthropologist Herbert Spencer invented the expression "survival of the fittest" which he coined in his Principles of Biology (1864) after reading Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species (1859). A description of the mechanism of natural selection, in Principles of…
Price: $110,000.00 Item Number: 141586
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"The Greatest Work In The History of Science": Rare First Edition in English of Newton’s Principia
NEWTON, Isaac.
The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Translated into English by Andrew Motte. To which are added, the Laws of the Moon’s Motion, according to Gravity.
London: Benjamin Motte, 1729.
First edition in English of Isaac Newton’s magnum opus Principia which Einstein called, "perhaps the greatest intellectual stride that it has ever been granted to any man to make." Octavo, two volumes, bound in full contemporary calf, gilt titles to the spine, engraved frontispiece after and by A. Motte in the first volume, section-title to Machin's Laws of Motion, 47 folding engraved plates, 2 folding letterpress tables, 3 engraved headpieces by Motte, numerous woodcut head and tailpieces, historiated and ornamental woodcut initials. Translated by Andrew Motte. In very good condition. An exceptional example of this cornerstone of scientific thought, most…
Price: $82,000.00 Item Number: 140042
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RARE AND UNRECORDED LAND INDENTURE SIGNED TWICE BY SIR ISAAC NEWTON
NEWTON, Isaac.
Isaac Newton Manuscript Land Indenture Signed.
November 11, 1719.
Rare and unrecorded 18th century legal document signed twice at the conclusion by Sir Isaac Newton as a witness to a land indenture. Manuscript document signed twice on the verso "Isaac Newton", one vellum membrane, dated 11 November 1719, signed by Thomas Sturgess and with his seal, witnessed twice on the dorse (the sealing of the document and the payment of the PS270 witnessed separately) by Newton and also by Richard Cox and James Weston, and also signed again by Sturgess. The document records an indenture by which Thomas Sturgess of the parish of St Martin's in the Fields sells…
Price: $65,000.00 Item Number: 146958
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"The Greatest Work In The History of Science": First Edition in English of Newton’s Principia
NEWTON, Isaac.
The Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy. Translated into English by Andrew Motte. To which are added, the Laws of the Moon’s Motion, according to Gravity.
London: Benjamin Motte, 1729.
First edition in English of Isaac Newton’s Principia. Octavo, two volumes bound in full calf with gilt titles and tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, gilt turn-ins, illustrated with forty-six folding engraved plates and two folding charts. In near find condition. A few leaves with light foxing, pages lightly toned. Plate XXV at the end of volume one supplied in facsimile. An excellent example of this landmark work.
Price: $65,000.00 Item Number: 145081
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Signed Photograph of Albert Einstein in Jerusalem; The Only One Known to Exist
EINSTEIN, Albert.
Albert Einstein Signed Photograph.
1923.
Extremely rare original photograph boldly signed "Albert Einstein Jersusalem 1923" during his only trip to Palestine in 1923. Einstein's return voyage from his tour of Japan and China took him via the Red Sea and Suez Canal which allowed him to accept the invitation of Arthur Ruppin, the director of the Palestine office of the Zionist Organization in Jaffa to visit the region for twelve days. Einstein arrived in Port Said on February 1, 1923, and from there he traveled to Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Jaffa and Haifa. The photographer, Zvi Oron, began his career in Warsaw and the United States…
Price: $60,000.00 Item Number: 141301
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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit": One of Only 50 sets of The Works of Aristotle; Signed by Translator Thomas Taylor in volumes 1 and 4.
ARISTOTLE; TRANSLATED BY THOMAS TAYLOR,.
The Works of Aristotle.
London: Robert Wilks, 1806-12.
Exceptionally rare complete set of the first edition in English of the works of Aristotle, limited to only 50 sets, signed by the translator Thomas Taylor in volumes one and four. Quarto, 11 volumes, bound in full contemporary calf, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, morocco spine labels, ribbon book marks bound in, marbled endpapers, all edges marbled. The set composes of the following: Volume 1: The Organon, 1807, signed at the end by the translator Thomas Taylor, and with A Brief Notice of Mr. Thomas Taylor, the Celebrated Platonist, with a Complete List of his Published Works, by…
Price: $55,000.00 Item Number: 138648
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Richard P. Feynman's National Medal of Science; bestowed upon him by President Jimmy Carter in 1979
[FEYNMAN, Richard P.].
Richard P. Feynman’s National Medal of Science.
Danbury, Connecticut: Medallic Art Co., [1979].
Richard P. Feynman's National Medal of Science, bestowed upon him by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. Bronze, the medal depicts a man in contemplation writing a formula in the sand on the obverse, and reads on the reverse: "Awarded by the President of the United States of America to Richard Phillips Feynman 1979." Established in 1959, he National Medal of Science is is an honor bestowed annually by the President of the United States to individuals in science and engineering who have made important contributions to the advancement of knowledge in the following six fields: behavioral and social sciences, biology,…
Price: $50,000.00 Item Number: 125834
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First editions of each volume in C.S. Lewis' acclaimed space trilogy; including the dedicatee's copy of Out of the silent planet; inscribed by C.S. Lewis' brother Warren Hamilton Lewis
LEWIS, C.S.
The Space Trilogy: Out of the Silent Planet, Perelandra and That Hideous Strength.
London: John Lane The Bodley Head, 1938-1945.
First editions of each volume in C.S. Lewis' important space trilogy including the dedicatee's (Lewis' brother's) copy of Out of the Silent Planet, the rarest book in the series. Octavo, three volumes, original cloth. Inscribed by C.S. Lewis' brother Warren Hamilton Lewis on the front free endpaper to whom the book is dedicated, "This book. Well, speaking as dedicatee I felt that it was up to me to buy it. What's more, I also think that you, as being friendly to us two, should try it. But if you should dislike the tale, Don't say so and thus spoil its…
Price: $50,000.00 Item Number: 132054
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Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman; Lengthily Inscribed by Richard Feynman to His Cousin
FEYNMAN, Richard P.
“Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” Adventures of a Curious Character.
New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1985.
First edition, early printing of this collection of reminiscences by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist and one of the greatest scientific minds of the twentieth century. Octavo, original half cloth. Association copy, lengthily inscribed by the author to his cousin on the half-title page, "To Frances Lewine Hi Franky - send me your book -- you ought to write one- it's easy, all you have to do is tell all those wonderful stories of yours to some friend with an open tape recorder. Richard." The recipient, Frances Lewine was known as a champion for the rights of women journalists throughout the…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 140950
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"Madam, you inrich the very cloaths and jewels you wear! You brighten all the Hemisphere about you, like the dazling sun in its full meridian!": Exceptionally rare first edition of James Bland's An Essay in Praise of Women
BLAND, James.
An Essay in Praise of Women: Or, A Looking-glass for Ladies to See Their Perfections In.
London: Printed for the Author, and Sold by J. Batley, 1733.
First edition of the English physician's immensely popular early 18th century essay. Octavo, bound in full contemporary calf with a burgundy morocco spine label lettered in gilt, gilt ruling to the spine in six compartments within raised bands, double gilt ruling to the front and rear panels, elaborate woodcut initials, headpieces and tailpieces. There were two issues of the first edition of Bland's Essay published in 1733, one sold by J. Batley adn the other by J. Roberts. Both issues are scarce, with no copies appearing in auction records. The work proved so popular upon publication in 1733 that a second edition…
Price: $40,000.00 Item Number: 139649
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First Edition of Feynman's QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter; Inscribed by Him to His Sister
FEYNMAN, Richard P.
QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter.
Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1985.
First edition of this work by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist regarding quantum electrodynamics, which James Gleick calls it "a model of science writing." Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author to his sister on the half-title page, "Dedicated to my dear sister, Joan. Richard P. Feynman." The recipient, Joan Feynman was Feynman's younger sister and grew to be a world-renowned astrophysicist in her own right. As children, Richard was Joan's first teacher and constantly advised her to challenge herself. Today, she is known for her work on the origin of auroras (i.e., the polar lights) as well as…
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 140430
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First Edition of STEPHEN HAWKING'S LANDMARK WORK A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME; Signed by Him
HAWKING, Stephen W.
A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes.
London: Bantam Press, 1988.
First edition of Hawking’s groundbreaking work. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated by Ron Miller. Presentation copy, signed by Stephen Hawking on the title page with his thumbprint, "For John Simpson, this unique signature has been printed by Stephen Hawking." Fine in a fine dust jacket. Author photograph by David Gamble. First printings are exceptionally rare and desirable signed.
Price: $35,000.00 Item Number: 133889
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"Even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these": Exquisite first edition large paper set of Loddiges' Botanical Cabinet; containing 2000 numbered hand-colored botanical plates by George Cooke
LODDIGES, George. Plates by George Cook.
The Botanical Cabinet Consisting of Coloured Delineations of Plants, from all Countries.
London: John & Arthur Arch; Hackney: Conrad Loddiges & Sons, et al, 1818–1833.
Rare first edition, large paper issue set of Loddiges' renowned Botanical Cabinet with 2000 numbered hand-colored plates by George Cooke. Octavos, 20 volumes bound in three quarters morocco over marbled boards with elaborate gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, red morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, all edges marbled. Illustrated with 2000 numbered hand-colored botanical plates by George Cooke. In near fine condition. Armorial bookplates. An exceptional collection, most rare and desirable in a complete set.
Price: $32,500.00 Item Number: 109061
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Exceptionally rare second edition of Ye Zipei’s complete map of the world, one of only two known copies produced by terrestrial globe expert Liu Yan
YAN, Liu (Liu Dezhi). [Ye Zipei].
Complete Map of the World with All Nations.
China: Wanguo Dadi Quantu, 1851 [Xianfeng period].
Exceptionally rare second edition of Ye Zipei’s complete map of the world, one of only two known copies produced by terrestrial globe expert Liu Yan. The terrestrial map is comprised of six accordion-style albums bound in handmade paper with white titular labels lettered in hand to each front panel. A woodblock print in red and black ink, the map features two hemispheres defined by straight meridian and circular parallel lines and a ground of red grids. The left hemisphere centers on the south pole, while the right one on the north pole; both are bordered by the equator, adopting the…
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 131424
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Rare Carl Sagan Archive including twenty notes and letters signed by him; from the collection of Sagan's Executive Assistant Shirley Arden
SAGAN, Carl. [Shirley Arden].
Carl Sagan Archive.
c. 1974-1985.
Extensive archive of papers, letters, notes, magazines, articles, press kits and portfolios containing the work of Carl Sagan, including twenty letters and notes signed by him and some additionally by his wife Ann Druyan. From the collection of Sagan's Executive Assistant, Shirley Arden, who was instrumental in Sagan's success and handled all travel arrangements and publications in his most illustrious years which saw the Viking landings on Mars, the Cosmos television series, and the Voyager mission. Sagan's biographer, Keay Davidson, used many of the documents in Arden's archive as sources for his 1999 biography: Carl Sagan: A Life. Ann and…
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 115521
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First Edition of The Evolution of Physics; Inscribed by Albert Einstein in the Year of Publication
EINSTEIN, Albert & Infeld.
The Evolution of Physics: The Growth of Ideas from Early Concepts to Relativity and Quanta.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1938.
First edition of this classic work, which traces the development of ideas in physics. Octavo, original blue cloth. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author in the year of publication on the second free endpaper, "For David Stern Albert Einstein 1938." Fine in a near dust jacket with a few small closed tears. Trade editions signed by Einstein are scarce.
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 146188
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FINE PAIR OF RARE EARLY 19TH CENTURY Josiah Loring CELESTIAL AND TERRESTRIAL TABLE GLOBES
LORING, Josiah.
Loring’s Terrestrial and Celestial Table Globes.
Boston: Josiah Loring, c. 1833.
Fine pair of rare early 19th century American celestial and terrestrial table globes published by Josiah Loring. Both the celestial and terrestrial globe measure 17 inches in diameter with a calibrated brass meridian ring and 17 inch mahogany horizon ring decorated with mounted hand colored decorations. Mounted on ebonized oak stands. Each globe is comprised of 12 richly detailed hand-colored gores with polar calottes, the terrestrial globe detailing the earth’s landmasses, major countries and cities and the celestial showing the major stars in various sizes related to their brightness. Major constellations and all twelve zodiac signs are illustrated with detailed…
Price: $30,000.00 Item Number: 132508
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"direct observational evidence of the validity of the Big Bang theory": rare silver gelatin galaxy spectra annotated by influential American astronomer Edwin Hubble
[HUBBLE, Edwin].
Edwin Hubble Annotated Virgo and Ursa Major Cluster Spectra.
Two rare silver gelatin galaxy spectra annotated by influential American astronomer Edwin Hubble, offering proof of Hubble's law and direct observational evidence of the validity of the Big Bang theory. Mounted on cardboard, one spectrum reveals the recessional velocity of the Virgo Cluster with Hubble's pencil annotations on the verso, "NGC 4473 Virgo Cluster Velocity = 2,000 kilometers per second." The second shows the recessional velocity of Ursa Major with Hubble's annotations, "Ursa Major Cluster velocity = 15,000 kilometers per second." In showing that the Ursa Major Galaxy Cluster (located at a distance of about 78 million light years away…
Price: $28,500.00 Item Number: 126281
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Rare 1617 Edition of Vesalius's Epitome containing 39 full-page anatomically illustrated plates
VESALIUS, Andreas. (Thomas Geminus).
Anatomia in Quat Tota Humani Corporis Fabrica. (Anatomy in Total of the Fabric of the Human Body).
Amsterdam: Joannes Janssonius, 1617.
Rare edition of the Epitome of Vesalius, first published in 1543 as an abbreviated dissection room manual to accompany his masterpiece De Humani Corporis Fabrica (On the Fabric of the Human Body). Folio, bound in full contemporary calf, gilt titles and elaborate gilt tooling to the spine, red spine label, raised tooled bands, marbled endpapers, engraved pictorial title page. Engraved portrait of Vesalius, engraved folding plate of Adam and Eve after that in the epitome before the main text. Containing 39 full-page anatomically illustrated plates, woodcut headpieces and initials. In near fine condition. Captions in both Latin and German, having been otherwise taken directly from…
Price: $28,000.00 Item Number: 74638
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"Long before the emergence of Hitler I made the cause of Zionism mine because through it I saw a means of correcting a flagrant wrong": Rare first edition of About Zionism; Signed and dated by Albert Einstein in the Year of Publication
EINSTEIN, Albert.
About Zionism: Speeches and Letters.
New York: The MacMillan Company, 1931.
First edition of this volume of Einstein's speeches and letters concerning his views on Zionism. Octavo, original cloth. Boldly signed and dated in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, "Albert Einstein 1931." Near fine with light toning to the endpapers in the scarce original dust jacket which is in good condition with some wear. Translated and edited with an introduction by Leon Simon. Exceptionally rare signed.
Price: $25,000.00 Item Number: 146050
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First Edition of Atomic Energy for Military Purposes; Signed by J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, Norris E. Bradbury, the Director of Los Alamos National Laboratory and Henry D. Smyth
SMYTH, Henry DeWolf. [J. Robert Oppenheimer].
Atomic Energy for Military Purposes: The Official Report on the Development of the Atomic Bomb Under the Auspices of the United States Government, 1940-1945.
Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1945.
First edition of the full text of Smyth's official report on the development of the atomic bomb. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated. Boldly signed by J. Robert Oppenheimer, the father of the atomic bomb, Norris E. Bradbury, the Director of Los Alamos National Laboratory, and Henry D. Smyth, the author. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Rare and desirable.
Price: $25,000.00 Item Number: 143097
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First Edition of this seminal Work Cybernetics; Inscribed by Norbert Weiner to Colleague Karl Wildes
WIENER, Norbert.
Cybernetics or Control and Communication in the Animal and the Machine.
New York: John Wiley & Sons, 1948.
First edition of "this seminal work...comparable in ultimate importance to...Galileo or Malthus or Rousseau or Mill" (Saturday Review). Octavo, original cloth. Association copy, inscribed by the author on the front free endpaper, "From Norbert Wiener To Karl Wildes In honor of our long friendship." Wiener presented this copy to Wildes who was long associated with the MIT Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science. Near fine in a very good dust jacket. First editions are rare signed, association copies exceedingly so.
Price: $25,000.00 Item Number: 142984
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"The first surgical work by an American and printed in North America": John Jones' Plain Concise Practical Remarks, on the Treatment of Wounds and Fractures
JONES, John.
Plain Concise Practical Remarks, on the Treatment of Wounds and Fractures.
Philadelphia: Robert Bell, 1776.
Exceptionally rare edition of the first surgical work by an American and printed in North America. Octavo, bound in nineteenth century three quarters morocco over marbled boards, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, frontispiece. Jones' work was the accepted guide to surgical practice during the American Revolutionary War" G&M 2155; Austin 1843; Evans 15100 and 14814; Sabin 94063 and 36524. In near fine condition.
Price: $25,000.00 Item Number: 91322
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Complete Collection of 12 Photographs of the Apollo Moonwalkers Each Signed
ARMSTRONG, Neil; Buzz Aldrin; Charles Conrad.
Apollo Moonwalkers Complete Collection of Signed Photographs.
Complete set of 12 photographs of the Apollo Moonwalkers. Set of 12 photographs, all of which are official NASA lithographs with the exception of the Alan Shepard photo. Each is individually signed in ink or felt tip as follows, "Neil Armstrong," "We Came in Peace, Buzz Aldrin, Apollo XI," "Charles Conrad, Jr.," "Alan L. Bean," "Alan Shepard," "Best wishes, Edgar Mitchell, Apollo 14" "Dave Scott," "Jim Irwin," "John Young," "Charlie Duke, Apollo 16," "Jack Schmitt," and "Gene Cernan, Apollo XVII." In overall near fine to fine condition with a PSA label affixed to the Shepard photo, light bumping to the…
Price: $25,000.00 Item Number: 145375
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"Members of the general public, such as myself, have a right to form and express their own opinions on the relationship between science and society": Rare typed letter signed by George Orwell regarding his views on science, scientists, and society
ORWELL, George.
George Orwell Typed Letter Signed.
January 9, 1946.
Rare typed letter signed by the acclaimed author of Nineteen-Eighty Four, George Orwell; part of a long correspondence with scientist Edward R. Ward regarding his views on science. One page, typescript, the letter reads: '9th January 1946 Dear Mr. Ward, Your letter has been passed on to be by "Tribune". I am sorry that in their correspondence columns I should have answered what was really an abridgement of your original letter; but I had not seen the latter, and I did not know that what was printed was a shortened version. I cannot enter into what might become a prolonged…
Price: $25,000.00 Item Number: 133445
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"For Francis, the first of us to think sensibly as to what the Central Dogma tells us about the origin of life, from Jim, upon the 35th anniversary of the Double Helix": First Edition of Evolution of Catalytic Function: Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology; inscribed by James D. Watson to Francis Crick
WATSON, James D. [Francis Crick].
Evolution of Catalytic Function: Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology.
Cold Spring, NY: Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory, 1987.
First edition of the collected speeches of the 52nd Cold Spring Harbor Symposia on Quantitative Biology. Foreword by James D. Watson. Quarto, original red cloth, illustrated with photographs, diagrams. Association copy, inscribed by James Watson to Francis Crick on the front free endpaper, "For Francis, the first of us to think sensibly as to what the Central Dogma tells us about the origin of life, from Jim, upon the 35th anniversary of the Double Helix. April 10, 1988." Also signed by Francis Crick. A unique piece of history between arguably the two most influential scientists of the twentieth century, co-discoverers…
Price: $22,000.00 Item Number: 41053
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"SCIENCE CAN ONLY ASCERTAIN WHAT IS, BUT NOT WHAT SHOULD BE, AND OUTSIDE OF ITS DOMAIN VALUE, ELLY JUDGMENTS OF ALL KINDS REMAIN NECESSARY": The Evolution of Physics; Signed by Albert Einstein and Leopold Infeld
EINSTEIN, Albert and Leopold Infeld.
The Evolution of Physics: The Growth of Ideas from Early Concepts to Relativity and Quanta.
New York: Simon and Schuster, 1951.
Later printing of this classic work, which traces the development of ideas in physics. Octavo, original blue cloth. Boldly signed by both authors on the front free endpaper, "A. Einstein. 53" and "L. Infeld 1958." Near fine in a very good dust jacket. We have never seen another example signed by both authors. Rare and desirable.
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 140033
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from the library of the father of computer science and Artificial Intelligence: Alan Turing
[TURING, Alan].
The World at War 1939-1944: A Brief History of World War II. Materials for the Use of Army Orientation Program.
Washington: The Infantry Journal, 1945.
The father of computer science, Alan Turing's copy of the U.S. War Department Military Intelligence Division's official history of World War II. Small octavo, original wrappers as issued. From the library of Alan Turing with his ownership signature to the title page, "A.M. Turing." English mathematician, computer scientist, and cryptanalyst Alan Mathison Turing was highly influential in the development of theoretical computer science, providing a formalization of the concepts of algorithm and computation with the Turing machine, a model of the general-purpose computer. During the Second World War, Turing was a leading participant in the breaking of German ciphers at…
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 135225
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"Considered the greatest single contribution to logic to appear since Aristotle": Russell and Whitehead's work Principia Mathematica
RUSSELL, Bertrand and Alfred North Whitehead.
Principia Mathematica.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1950.
First edition of volume one and second editions of volumes two and three, in the rare dust jackets of Russell and Whitehead's monumental work. Octavo, three volumes, original cloth. Rare and desirable.
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 140610
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Rare First Edition of Cerf and Kahn's A Protocol for Packet Network Intercommunication; Signed twice by Each
CERF, Vinton G. and Robert E. Kahn .
A Protocol for Packet Network Intercommunication.
New York: IEEE, 1974.
First edition of this landmark paper. IEEE Transactions and Communications, Volume Com-22, Number 5, May 1974, pages 589–733. Quarto, original wrappers. Signed by both Vinton Cerf and Robert Kahn on the front panel and also at their contribution in the article. In near fine condition with some light touch up to the front panel, rebacked. Housed in a custom clamshell box. Rare, especially signed.
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 26035
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Early Printings of The Feynman Lectures On Physics; inscribed by Nobel Prize-winning physicist Richard Feynman to Alfred Paul Seckel
FEYNMAN, Richard P.; Robert P. Leighton; Matthew Sands.
The Feynman Lectures On Physics.
Reading, Massachusetts: Addison-Wesley Publishing Company for California Institute of Technology, 1975-76.
Early printings of each volume of one of the greatest physics books ever written. Quarto, original red printed wrappers. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author in volume one, "May 5, 1982, To my friend, Al Seckel." The recipient, Alfred Paul Seckel, authored several books on the nature of illusion and perception and edited two of Bertrand Russell's works. An active figure in the Freethought movement, Seckel co-designed the "Darwin fish" logo in response to the proliferation of "Jesus fish" logos used on bumper stickers and t-shirts. Each volume is in very good condition. Housed in a custom cloth clamshell box.…
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 95373
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"I would advise anyone who wants to get to the kernel of the life of a Polar explorer to read the book": Edition De Luxe of Antarctic Days; Signed by Shackleton, Murray and Marston
SHACKLETON, Ernest; James Murray and George Marston.
Antarctic Days. Sketches of the Homely Side of Polar Life by Two of Shackleton’s Men: Introduced by Sir Ernest Shackleton.
London: Andrew Melrose, 1913.
Limited edition de luxe of this account of the 1907-09 Nimrod Expedition under Shackleton. number 181 of 280 copies signed on the recto of the limitation leaf by E.H. Shackleton, James Murray and George Marston. Octavo, original blue cloth with gilt titles to the spine and front panel with a mounted color illustration, top edge gilt, 4 mounted color plates after watercolors by C. Day, 34 photo illustrations on 28 plates. In near fine condition with a light rubbing, with the original dust jacket lacking the spine. A very nice example, as most copies have been rebound and we have…
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 132467
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First Edition of Surely You're Joking Mr. Feynman; Signed by Richard Feynman
FEYNMAN, Richard P.
“Surely You’re Joking, Mr. Feynman!” Adventures of a Curious Character.
New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 1985.
First edition of this collection of reminiscences by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist and one of the greatest scientific minds of the twentieth century. Octavo, original half cloth. Signed by Richard Feynman on the title page. Near fine in a near fine dust jacket with a touch of shelfwear. Jacket design by Mike McIver. Told to Ralph Leighton. Edited by Edward Hutchings. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Signed first editions are exceptionally rare and desirable.
Price: $20,000.00 Item Number: 90244
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The most important work on the early history of microscopes and telescopes: Rare first edition of Johann Zahn's Oculus Artificialis Teledioptricus
ZAHN, Johann.
Oculus Artificialis Teledioptricus, Sive Telescopium: Ex Abditis Rerum Naturalium Et Artificialium Principiis Protractum Novâ Methodo, Eâque Solidâ Explicatum ac Comprimis e Triplici Fundamento Physico Seu Naturali, Mathematico Dioptrico Et Mechanico, Seu Practico Stabilitum.
Quirini Heyl: Herbipoli [Würzburg], 1685-1686.
First edition of the most important work on the early history and manufacture of microscopes and telescopes; particularly valuable for its illustrations of both simple and compound microscopes of the period, including the type of compound instrument used by Robert Hooke. Folio, three volumes bound into in one in full contemporary vellum, morocco spine label lettered in gilt, with extra engraved title and over 200 engraved or woodcut illustrations, many full-page and some folding tables.
Price: $18,000.00 Item Number: 125830
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Rare association copy of STEPHEN HAWKING'S LANDMARK WORK A BRIEF HISTORY OF TIME; signed by Stephen Hawking with his thumbprint and signed by his wife Jane Hawking
HAWKING, Stephen W. Introduction by Carl Sagan.
A Brief History of Time: From the Big Bang to Black Holes.
London: Bantam Press, 1991.
Later printing of Hawking’s groundbreaking work. Octavo, original cloth, illustrated by Ron Miller. Association copy, inscribed by Jane Hawking on the title page, "For Frank Williams, in admiration Jane" and signed by Stephen Hawking with his thumbprint. The recipient, Sir Francis Owen Garbett Williams was a British businessman, racing car driver, and the founder of the Williams Formula One team. He was the team principal from its foundation in 1977 until 2020. During that period, the team won nine constructors' championships and seven drivers' championships. Hawking was a loyal supporter and fan of the Williams Formula One team. He visited…
Price: $17,500.00 Item Number: 142109
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“THE MOST NATURALISTIC DEPICTION OF AMERICAN MAMMALS EVER DONE”: FIRST OCTAVO EDITION OF AUDUBON’S QUADRUPEDS
AUDUBON, John James and John Bachman .
The Quadrupeds of North America.
New York: V.G. Audubon, 1849, 1851, 1854.
Rare first octavo edition of Audubon’s Quadrupeds, illustrated with 155 magnificent hand-colored lithographic plates. Tall octavos, three volumes, bound in full straight red morocco, gilt titles and tooling to the spine, gilt stamped bear on front board, rear board with blind stamped bear, marbled endpapers. In near fine condition. An exceptional example, rare and desirable in this condition.
Price: $17,500.00 Item Number: 139368
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First Edition of The Nobel Lectures in Medicine 1942-1962; Signed by Francis Crick, James D. Watson and Maurice Wilkins
WATSON, James D; Francis Crick; Maurice Wilkins; Arthur Kornberg.
Nobel Lectures: Physiology or Medicine 1942-1962.
Amsterdam: Elsevier Publishing Company, 1964.
First edition of this collection of Nobel Lectures in physiology or medicine from the years 1942-1962. Thick Octavo, original yellow cloth. Signed by all three Nobel Prize-winning scientists Francis Crick, James D. Watson and Maurice Wilkins on the title page. They were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1962, "for their discoveries concerning the molecular structure of nucleic acids and its significance for information transfer in living material."Fine in a very good dust jacket with some closed tears and toning to the spine. An exceptional piece signed by these Nobel Prize-winning scientists.
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 95688
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Rare First Edition of Leonardo Da Vinci's Trattato della Pittura di Lionardo da Vinci
DA VINCI, Leonardo.
Trattato della Pittura di Lionardo da Vinci. [Leonardo da Vinci].
Paris: Jacques Langlois, 1651.
Rare first edition of this classic treatise of da Vinci's work on painting, two parts in one volume. Folio, bound in full contemporary calf, gilt titles, engraved portrait of da Vinci in each part, engraved vignette on title, engraved initials, head and tail pieces, engraved text illustrations. In very good condition, marginalia, rebacked. Compiled from his original notes by his pupil Francesco Melzi. First editions are rare.
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 130267
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First Edition of The Double Helix; Signed by Both James Watson and Francis Crick
WATSON, James D. [Francis Crick].
The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA.
New York: Atheneum, 1968.
First edition of Watson's ground breaking work regarding the discovery of DNA for which the author, Francis Crick and Maurice Wilkins were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine in 1962. Signed by both James Watson and Francis Crick on the title page. Octavo, original blue cloth, with numerous diagrams and photographic illustrations. Fine in a fine dust jacket. Jacket design by Jeanyee Wong. Foreword by Sir Lawrence Bragg. Rare and desirable signed by both Watson and Crick.
Price: $16,000.00 Item Number: 112545
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First Edition of Albert Einstein's Relativity; In the rare original dust jacket.
EINSTEIN, Albert.
Relativity: The Special And General Theory.
London: Methuen and Co, 1920.
First edition of the scientist's ground breaking work. Octavo, original red cloth, frontispiece of the author and with five diagrams. Near fine in the rare original dust jacket with light wear and rubbing. Translated by Robert W. Lawson. An exceptional example, uncommon in this condition.
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 139101
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"I would advise anyone who wants to get to the kernel of the life of a Polar explorer to read the book": Edition De Luxe of Antarctic Days; Signed by Shackleton, Murray and Marston
SHACKLETON, Ernest; James Murray and George Marston.
Antarctic Days. Sketches of the Homely Side of Polar Life by Two of Shackleton’s Men: Introduced by Sir Ernest Shackleton.
London: Andrew Melrose, 1913.
Limited edition de luxe, numbered 85 of 280 copies signed on the recto of the limitation leaf by E.H. Shackleton, James Murray and George Marston. Octavo, original blue cloth, gilt titles to the spine and front panel with a mounted color illustration, top edge gilt, 4 mounted color plates after watercolors by C. Day, 34 photo illustrations on 28 plates. In near fine condition with a light rubbing. A very nice example, as most copies have been rebound. Introduced by Sir Ernest Shackleton.
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 103746
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First Edition of Feynman's QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter; Signed by Him
FEYNMAN, Richard P.
QED: The Strange Theory of Light and Matter.
Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1985.
First edition of this work by the Nobel Prize-winning physicist regarding quantum electrodynamics. Octavo, original cloth. Signed by the author on the title page, "Richard P. Feynman." Fine in a fine dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box. Preface by Ralph Leighton. Rare and desirable signed.
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 96977
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"No one quality by itself makes a good man or woman; many are essential; but three especially - courage, straightforward honesty, and common sense": Rare autograph quotation book lengthily inscribed by Theodore Roosevelt as President in addition to many others including William Howard Taft, John Muir, John Burroughs, and Bernard Baruch
ROOSEVELT, Theodore; William Howard Taft; John Muir; John Burroughs; Bernard Baruch et al. [Olga Roosevelt].
Theodore Roosevelt Signed and Inscribed Autograph Quotation Book.
c. 1903.
Olga Roosevelt's autograph book, lengthily inscribed and signed by Theodore Roosevelt as President of the United States, William Howard Taft as Vice President of the United States and several other famous figures of the era, including naturalists John Muir and John Burroughs and financier Bernard Baruch. Octavo, bound in full vellum with hand painted decorations to the spine and panels, patterned endpapers. Inscribed and signed by Theodore Roosevelt with a lengthy quotation, "No one quality by itself makes a good man or woman; many are essential; but three especially - courage, straightforward honesty, and common sense. Theodore Roosevelt July 23rd…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 116342
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First Edition of Burney's Chronological History of the Discoveries in the South Sea or Pacific Ocean
BURNEY, Capt. James.
A Chronological History of the Discoveries in the South Sea or Pacific Ocean. Illustrated with Charts.
London: Printed by Luke Hansard, 1803.
Rare first edition of "the most important general history of early South Seas discoveries, containing practically everything of importance on the subject; collected from all sources, with the most important remarks concerning them. Many of the early voyages to California would be inaccessible were they not collected herein" (Hill). Quarto, 5 volumes bound in full calf with red morocco spine labels lettered in gilt, gilt tooling to the spine in six compartments within raised gilt bands, botanical ruling stamped in blind to the front and rear panels, marbled endpapers. Containing 28 engraved maps (15 folding), 13 plates (1 folding), woodcut…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 117105
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Fine pair of rare early 19th century of Regency Twelve-Inch Terrestrial and Celestial Library Globes
CARY, George; John and William Cary.
Pair of Regency Terrestrial and Celestial Library Globes
London: George and John Cary and by John and William Cary, c. 1816 and 1821.
Fine pair of rare early 19th century celestial and terrestrial table globes the cartouche of the terrestrial globe reads Cary's New Terrestrial Globe Delineated From the best Authorities extant Exhibiting the late discoveries towards the North Pole and every improvement in Geography to the present Time London Made & Sold by G & J Cary, 86 S. James's St. March 15th 1821; the cartouche of the celestial globe reads Cary's New Celestial Globe on white are correctly laid down upwards of 3500 stars Selected from the most accurate observations and calculated for the year 1800. With the extent of each…
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 141475
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Etching of Albert Einstein by Hermann Struck; Signed by Both Struck and Einstein
EINSTEIN, Albert; Hermann Struck.
Albert Einstein Signed Etching.
1923.
Lithograph portrait of "the father of modern physics", Albert Einstein by well-known artist Hermann Struck. Signed by Einstein, "Albert Einstein 1923" and Struck, "Herman Struck 138/150". In fine condition. Matted and framed, the entire piece measures 19.75 inches by 15.5 inches. An exceptional piece.
Price: $15,000.00 Item Number: 127204
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Etching of Albert Einstein by Hermann Struck; Signed by Both Struck and Einstein
EINSTEIN, Albert; Hermann Struck.
Albert Einstein Signed Etching.
1923.
Etch bust of Albert Einstein done by well-known artist Hermann Struck. Signed by both Einstein and Struck, numbered 49/150. In fine condition. Double matted and framed, the entire piece measures 12.25 inches by 15 inches. An exceptional piece.
Price: $14,000.00 Item Number: 95890
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First Editions of Shackleton’s Classic Account The Heart of the Antarctic; Inscribed by Ernest H. Shackleton
SHACKLETON, Ernest H.
The Heart of the Antarctic: Being the Story of the British Antarctic Expedition 1907-1909.
London: William Heinemann, 1909.
First editions of Shackleton’s fascinating account of the British Antarctic Expedition of 1907-1909. Large octavos, 2 volumes, original blue cloth, photogravure frontispiece to each volume, 12 captioned tissue-guarded colored, and 255 black and white other plates in all, 3 maps, panorama in end-pocket of volume II, and numerous illustrations and diagrams throughout. Presentation copy, inscribed by Ernest Shackleton on the front free endpaper. In very good condition. Trade editions signed by Shackleton are rare.
Price: $14,000.00 Item Number: 141414
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"Learn from yesterday, live for today, hope for tomorrow. The important thing is not to stop questioning": First Edition of Anton Reiser's Albert Einstein: A Biographical Portrait; Signed and dated by Albert Einstein
REISER, Anton. [Albert Einstein].
Albert Einstein: A Biographical Portrait.
New York: Albert & Charles Boni, 1930.
First edition of this Einstein biography written by Rudolf Kayser, a German literary historian and husband to Albert Einstein's stepdaughter Ilse under the pseudonym Anton Reiser. Octavo, original cloth, frontispiece of Einstein. Signed and dated by Einstein in the year of publication on the front free endpaper, "Albert Einstein 1930." Near fine in a very good dust jacket. Rare signed and in the original dust jacket.
Price: $14,000.00 Item Number: 138499
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"In the long history of humankind (and animal kind, too) those who learned to collaborate and improvise most effectively have prevailed": The Authorized Edition of The Works of Charles Darwin; Finely Bound
DARWIN, Charles.
The Works of Charles Darwin. Including: The Origin of Species; The Descent of Man; Variation of Plants and Animals Under Domestication; Formation of Vegetable Mould; The Effects of Cross and Self Fertilisation in the Vegetable Kingdom; The Movement and Habits of Climbing Plants; The Various Contrivances by Which Orchids are Fertilised by Insects. Second Edition, Revised. A Naturalist’s Voyage. Journal of Researches into the Natural History and Geology of Countries Visited During the Voyage of the H.M.S Beagle; The Different Forms of Flowers on Plants of the Same Species.
New York: D. Appleton and Company, 1896-97.
The Authorized edition of the works of Charles Darwin. Octavo, 15 volumes, bound in original three quarters morocco, gilt titles to the spine, top edge gilt, illustrated with in-text drawings and plates, some volumes with frontispieces. In near fine condition. An exceptional set.
Price: $14,000.00 Item Number: 133260
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“I have learned to use the word 'impossible' with the greatest caution": Rare First Edition of Wernher Von Braun's The Mars Project; Inscribed by Him
VON BRAUN, Wernher.
The Mars Project.
Urbana: University of Illinois, 1953.
First edition of this classic work. Quarto, original cloth, illustrated. Presentation copy, inscribed by the author on the half-title page, "To Bob Mabon from one space man to another- Wernher von Braun." Near fine in a very good dust jacket with some small chips. First editions are rare, signed and inscribed examples exceptionally so, this is the first example we have seen.
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 123721
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Rare first edition of James Bolton's magnificently illustrated Harmonia Ruralis; containing eighty copper-plates of life-size male and female songbirds drawn, engraved, and coloured by the author
BOLTON, James.
Harmonia Ruralis; or, An Essay Towards A Natural History of British Songbirds.
London: Printed For and Sold By the Author, 1794.
Rare first edition of Bolton's magnificently illustrated work on British songbirds. First issue with the original plates 7 and 13 which differ in later issues. Quarto, two volumes bound into one in three quarters morocco with gilt titles and tooling to the spine, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, illustrated with eighty copper-plates of life-size male and female songbirds drawn, engraved and colored by the author, index. In near fine condition. First editions are rare, with only a handful appearing at auction in the last 100 years.
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 111071
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The original publisher's Galley Proof of Stephen King's The Plant: Part Three; With King's edits and annotations, approved and signed by him
KING, Stephen.
The Plant: Part Three Stephen King Original Annotated Galley Proof.
Bangor, Maine: Philtrum Press, 1985.
The original publisher's galley proof of Part Three of King's rare unfinished epistolary novel, initially published in parts and sent to his close friends in lieu of Christmas cards. Folded, the proof measures 60 inches by 19 inches with a typed note from King's publisher on the title page and King's inscription, "copy-edit complete. Steve King/." With King's annotations and edits throughout. In near fine condition. Exceptionally rare, a highly desirable rarity for the King collector.
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 136241
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First Edition of Albert Einstein's Relativity; In the rare original dust jacket.
EINSTEIN, Albert.
Relativity: The Special And General Theory.
London: Methuen and Co, 1920.
First edition of the scientist's ground breaking work. Octavo, original red cloth, frontispiece of the author and with five diagrams. Near fine in the rare original dust jacket with loss of section at rear. Translated by Robert W. Lawson. Scarce in the original dust jacket. Housed in a custom half morocco clamshell box by the Harcourt Bindery.
Price: $12,500.00 Item Number: 131697